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Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds - An Identification Guide (1 Viewer)

I must say books on Birds of Paradise are very special. We have Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds by E. Thomas Gillard (1966), The Lost Birds of Paradise (1995) and Drawn by Paradise (2012) by Errol Fuller and we have the classic Bird Families of the World: Birds of Paradise by Bruce Beehler and Clifford B. Brith (1998), that include still the best artwork on Birds of Paradise so far (by Wiliam T. Cooper). In particular I am curious on the photographic material in Gregory's book.
 
And not to mention: Tim Laman and Edwin Schole: Birds of Paradise : Revealing the World's Most Extraordinary Birds
 
Let me please mention Cooper and Forshaw's "The Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds". I mean, talking about serious artwork.

Definitely the very best I have ever encountered. Compared to it, Cooper's kingfishers were actually disappointing in my humble opinion. Though his pigeons reached the former peak once again. It's just that those plates can't be found in their original size and splendor.
 
Let me please mention Cooper and Forshaw's "The Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds". I mean, talking about serious artwork.

Good work is expensive. Only 3031 Euro at Amazon for a collector's item. But I think we should also go back to the bird artists of the 19th century, e.g. Richard Bowdler Sharpe. Errol Fuller tells an interesting history on Birds of Paradise art in his book Drawn from Paradise.
 
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Good work is expensive. Only 3031 Euro at Amazon for a collector's item. But I think we should also go back to the bird artists of the 19th century, e.g. Richard Bowdler Sharpe. Error Fuller tells an interesting history on Birds of Paradise art in his book Drawn from Paradise.

When a silly price like that is found, it's usually the work of an algorithm rather than a real person.
 
I hope Lophorina niedda and Lophorina minor will treat as distinct species in Gregory's book because HBW Alive still treat them as subspecies of Lophorina superba.
 
Whatever the merits of the artwork in other books on Birds of Paradise, having recently been given a copy of Phil Gregory's book by the author, I can honestly say that nobody's going to be disappointed by Richard Allen"s superb illustrations..Nor will anyone be disappointed by Phil's well written and scholarly text. I don't have it to hand so can't comment on splits/lumps but I do know Phil has given great consideration to these (and many other) issues.
 
My copy was dispatched from the UK today. Probably one of the books aim looking forward to most this year so aim eagerly awaiting its arrival.
 
I don't know what's going on in the UK, I had a pre-order with Speedyhen who just advised me that it's been put back to 1st March!!!!

Edit: I just found one on Ebay, cheapest I've found at £36.89 and with free postage, they seem to have a stock for anyone interested.
 
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I've just got a message from NHBS that they will dispatch my copy this Thursday. Previously I had the intension to purchase this book from Amazon.de but first it costs 10 € more and secondly it takes sometimes longer at Amazon.de to got a copy in stock than at other platforms. In addition I've got a very nice Attenborough film titled Attenborough in Paradise on DVD today (though the world famous display dance of the Vogelkop bird of paradise was first shown in Planet Earth II in 2018).
 
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I've just got a message from NHBS that they will dispatch my copy this Thursday. Previously I had the intension to purchase this book from Amazon.de but first it costs 10 € more and secondly it takes sometimes longer at Amazon.de to got a copy in stock than at other platforms. In addition I've got a very nice Attenborough film titled Attenborough in Paradise on DVD today (though the world famous display dance of the Vogelkop bird of paradise was first shown in Planet Earth II in 2018).

Melanie, NHBS is always expensive....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Birds-of...181755?hash=item48db51453b:g:8AkAAOSw9J9eETNF
 
Got mine a couple of days ago, well done Phil and Richard, a lovely work!

Agreed. I got mine just before Christmas and subsequently had the remarkable good fortune to be shown four lifers (two bowerbirds, Golden & Toothbilled, and two Birds of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird & Trumpet Manucode), by the man himself.
 
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